love one another and be happy. it's as simple and difficult as that.

Life is a Battlefield

Are you a person worth fighting for?

I’ve been noticing that a lot of movies lately have the same underlying theme – they are all fighting for something. Whether it’s a girl or a job or their big break as a singer or surviving the big, blue ocean to find a little orange fish, these protagonists are ready to do whatever it takes to fight for something they believe in.

This theme of ‘the fight’ has led me to examine my life and ask myself this question, “Am I someone worth fighting for?” Meaning, is the person I am, at the root of the root a person worth fighting for?

I often say, “I want <insert person’s name> in my foxhole with me” when describing a loyal or ridiculously awesome person I know. We all desire a band of people that will stick with us through war zones and broken hearts. Our army doesn’t work out of hate, but love and we are willing to do whatever it takes to defend their honor.

I will be honest, often times I don’t feel like many people want to stick around in my fox hole. In moments of these types of storm and war I get frustrated. And in the middle of my frustration, I start making lists in my head of “when they were going through this, I was there” or “if it was them, I would do this.” More so then anything, I get frustrated with myself. Frustrated by the reality that no matter how hard I try, I’m just going to be one of those people no one feels is worth fighting for. It isn’t chivalry that’s dead, it’s loyalty. You see, there’s a deep desire in our hearts to be wanted and in this craving to be known, we end up supplying our confidence through other people. I hate to break it you (and myself), but people are going to let you down. Often times they don’t mean to, but they will and when your confidence is wrapped up in that, it hurts – a lot.

So what does a person worth fighting for look like? There is a quote spoken by Napoleon where he said:

“I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.”

I love this quote because it exemplifies the purity of Jesus. He loved even when people weren’t very loving. He was loyal even when others weren’t loyal (re: Peter). He was trusting even when others betrayed his trust (re: Judas). He was forgiving even when others weren’t forgiving. The list goes on and on and as a result, you, me and so many others would, without hesitation, lay down our lives for Him. And we would do it not because we are are afraid of Him, but because we love Him.

Truth is, you may never feel like you are a person worth fighting for, a friendship worth preserving or a life worth defending. You may spend your entire life jumping through hoops trying to impress people, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many Facebook friends you have or how many likes you’ve gotten on Instagram or even how many friends will come to your side to defend your honor, you won’t be able to take any of this with you when you go. Rest assured, your entrance into heaven isn’t dependent on the amount of rave reviews you have.

Our best example is to look at Jesus’ life and how He lived his. He didn’t have an agenda for His kindness or try to manipulate situations so He was always in the right. He was who He was. Unapologetic and full of love. And in turn, He calls us to follow in His footsteps. To love those around you, even when it hurts. You may not feel like there are many people who will fight for you, but live like you are anyway. Live your life in such a way that people can see you are honorable.

If you’re wondering if you’re a person worth fighting for, the answer is always yes. Jesus thinks so, He thought so when He died on the Cross and the good news is, He is always in your foxhole. Every day. Rain. Shine. Always.